5 Bollywood films that faced delays before finally hitting screens: Shah Rukh Khan's Raees to Akshay Kumar's Mere Jeevan Saathi

Pink Villa

26-05-2025

Several Bollywood films saw many delays before finally reaching audiences, battling challenges like financial crises, box office clashes, and legal disputes. Despite these hurdles, they eventually made their way to the big screen, sometimes years later. Today, let's dive into some notable movies that endured long waits before their release like Shah Rukh Khan's Raees and Akshay Kumar's Mere Jeevan Saathi, proving that good things truly come to those who wait.
1. Raees (2017)
Delay Duration: 1 year
The 2017 film Raees, starring Shah Rukh Khan in the lead role, showed the superstar's brooding intensity and his performance is still remembered till date. The crime drama faced a delay to avoid box office clash. Set to release in Eid 2016, it was pushed to Republic Day 2017 release to avoid clash with Salman Khan's Sultan.
The film was further rescheduled to January 25, 2017, to avoid another box-office clash with Kaabil.
Directed by Rahul Dholakia and produced by Red Chillies Entertainment and Excel Entertainment, it also stars Nawazuddin Siddiqui in an important role. Raees was a significant commercial and critical success.
2. Hum Tumhare Hain Sanam (2002)
Delay Duration: 6 years
Hum Tumhare Hain Sanam stars Shah Rukh Khan, Madhuri Dixit and Salman Khan in lead roles. The film shows a complex love triangle as it revolves around themes of insecurity and emotional turmoil. SRK's character gets jealous and finds it difficult to deal with his wife's close bond with her childhood friend.
The film was delayed for six years. Producer K.C. Bokadia was dealing with the financial crisis in the 1990s despite giving big hits like Aaj Ka Arjun and Phool Baney Angaaray leading to the delay in Hum Tumhare Hain Sanam.
Though star-studded, it was a moderate success. The film became an average grosser earning Rs 34.76 crore worldwide and was made on a budget of Rs 12 crore.
3. Ugly (2014)
Delay Duration: 2 years
Directed by Anurag Kashyap, the 2014 film Ugly is a neo-noir psychological thriller that revolves around the kidnapping of a young girl. The film showcases human greed, egos, and the perfect presentation of emotions.
The film faced a delay in release due to a legal battle with CBFC over anti-smoking disclaimer. Anurag filed a case against the rule of mandatory anti-smoking disclaimer and lost the case. This caused the delay in the release of the film.
Ugly became a critical success, but unlike other Anurag's films it wasn't a massive box office hit.
4. Pakeezah (1972)
Delay Duration: 16 years
Pakeezah is directed by Kamal Amrohi and features Meena Kumari, Ashok Kumar, Kamal Kapoor, and Veena. Set in early 20th-century Lucknow, the story follows a courtesan and dancer who clings to the belief that her purity, both of heart and body, will lead her to find true love and honor.
However, the film faced many obstacles. The personal fallout between director Kamal Amrohi and lead actress Meena Kumari in 1964 caused delays, and Kumari's struggle with alcoholism often hampered shooting. Tragically, she passed away just weeks after the film's release.
Released in 1972, Pakeezah emerged as a landmark hit, becoming one of the most commercially successful films of its time.
5. Mere Jeevan Saathi (2006)
Delay Duration: 2 years
Starring Akshay Kumar, Karisma Kapoor, and Ameesha Patel in lead roles, Mere Jeevan Saathi revolves around Vicky, madly in love with Anjali. However, things take a turn when his ex-college friend Natasha enters their life and aspires to make him a global singer at all costs.
The film faced delays due to several reasons like timing of cricket matches, production's financial crisis and more. There were also reports that a 'cat fight' between Kareena and Ameesha was also one of the reasons behind its delay.
Mere Jeevan Saathi did not become an average grosser upon its release.
Why do films get delayed?
Films get delayed due to a mix of several reasons such as creative, logistical, and external challenges. Issues such as creative disagreements between cast and crew, script rewrites, reshoots, stalling progress, scheduling conflicts, financial crisis, filming halted natural disasters, pandemics, post-production hurdles, and more push release date ahead. Sometimes even to avoid box office clashes or to release it on certain festivals, studios also delay films' releases.
The above-mentioned Bollywood films prove a perfect example of being patient and never losing hope. Despite several delays, the cast and crew remained committed to bringing the film to the audiences, and their wish ultimately got fulfilled. It shows passion, patience, and persistence ultimately pays off when the time comes.